NLC Fires Final Warning At Tinubu Over Minimum Wage After His Announcement

Organized Labour has sent a final warning to President Bola Tinubu over the national minimum wage controversy following his recent announcement that he would send the bill to the National Assembly.

During his Democracy Day speech, Tinubu had stated that having reached an agreement with other parties, he would send the bill to the lawmakers to approve a minimum wage for workers but the organised labour disagreed with him, insisting that no agreement has been reached on the minimum wage figure.

The Labour warned Tinubu not to present any figure for the new minimum wage to the National Assembly without prior consultation with them. They also emphasized that workers would demand arrears of the minimum wage, regardless of how long it takes to enact the new law.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero and Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Festus Osifo expressed these views on Thursday during the ongoing International Labour Conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ajaero stated that Tinubu should convene a meeting with tripartite bodies to discuss the ability to pay before finalizing a figure. “We expect the President to consult with organized labour, employers, and state governors before presenting a final figure to the National Assembly,” he said. “All parties need to come together to discuss before submission to the National Assembly.”

This week, Organized Labour reiterated their demand for a new minimum wage of N250,000, while the federal government has only shown willingness to increase it beyond N60,000 and later proposed N62,000. Currently, the minimum wage stands at N30,000.